Sarina Hotel Dhaka reinforcing proud local brand with global standards

Dhaka : In a year marked by intense competition and cautious corporate travel sentiment, Sarina Hotel Dhaka navigated 2025 with resilience, strategic clarity, and a renewed focus on its core strengths - business travel, MICE, and F&B excellence. Under the leadership of General Manager Channa Ekanayake, the hotel reinforced its identity as a locally owned brand delivering international-standard hospitality, while laying the groundwork for sustainable growth in 2026.

Operating in a highly competitive Dhaka hospitality market, Sarina Hotel recorded an average occupancy of around 40 percent during the year, gradually improving to approximately 58 percent toward year-end as market conditions stabilized. While still below the broader city average, the trend highlighted growing momentum and untapped potential.

What distinguished Sarina's performance in 2025 was the quality and composition of its guest mix. Nearly 90 percent of guests were business travelers, with a strong presence of international corporate visitors, including repeat guests from China, India, Ukraine, Armenia and Sri Lanka. This consistent corporate base reinforced Sarina's positioning as a preferred business hotel, particularly in Dhaka's Banani area.

Corporate and project-based travel remained the backbone of room-night production throughout the year. Long-stay corporate guests - often staying from ten nights to several months - played a critical role in stabilizing occupancy, particularly during weekends and shoulder periods. These guests, associated with aviation, telecom, banking, development agencies and multinational projects, provided predictable demand, and reduced volatility compared to transient bookings.

Among contributing sectors, aviation-related business emerged as the most consistent source of room nights, driven by airline crew layovers, technical teams and consultants. Banking and financial institutions followed closely, supported by visiting executives, auditors and foreign specialists involved in compliance and digital transformation projects. Telecom and technology companies, development agencies, multinational corporates and diplomatic missions further diversified the hotel's demand base.

While room demand remained measured, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) proved to be one of Sarina's strongest and most resilient revenue pillars in 2025. Corporate meetings, board sessions, compliance training, product launches and partner conferences dominated the calendar, supported by steady demand from banking, telecom, aviation and multinational clients.

The hotel also hosted large-scale and high-profile events, most notably the 75th anniversary celebrations of Holy Cross School, where Sarina successfully delivered catering for nearly 6,000 guests per meal, four times a day, over four consecutive days - a landmark operational achievement that underscored its banquet and logistics capability.

Sarina's success in the MICE segment was driven by discreet service, executive-friendly environments, flexible meeting spaces, strong technical support, and a responsive banquet team - attributes that generated high repeat business and consistent weekday utilization.

Food and beverage operations remained one of Sarina Hotel's strongest brand assets in 2025, anchoring overall performance and ensuring revenue resilience beyond room sales. Signature restaurants, banquets, and thematic food festivals recorded steady growth, supported by strong non-resident patronage, which proved critical to margins and brand visibility.

Seasonal and cultural promotions played a major role, including SAARC Cuisine Festivals, Street Food Festivals, and tailored Ramadan Iftar and Suhoor offerings. Festive menus for Eid, Christmas and year-end celebrations further strengthened Sarina's positioning as a dining and social destination.

Amid rising food, energy and manpower costs, Sarina adopted a disciplined operational approach in 2025. Menu engineering, local sourcing, waste reduction and supplier negotiations helped control food costs. Energy-efficient equipment, smart utility management and preventive maintenance reduced energy consumption, while cross-training and optimized scheduling ensured manpower efficiency without compromising service quality.

As Bangladesh enters 2026, Sarina Hotel Dhaka remains cautiously optimistic. Business travel is expected to grow steadily, MICE demand is projected to remain strong, and F&B will continue to act as a key growth engine. Planned renovations, technology upgrades and new dining concepts are expected to further enhance guest experience and competitiveness.